Kaia Gerber by Hedi Alimane Celine 2023 ‘Age of Indieness’

Kaia Gerber returns to Celine’s new 2023 campaign in a collection named “Age of Indieness”, with its big reveal last December 2022 at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles.

Rather than runway the collection during Paris Fashion Week in March 2023, with the rest of the French heritage brands, Hedi Slimane arrived four months early with Celine's FW 2023 collection.

The Chasseur jacket, the Newspaper Triomphe bag, and bold sunglasses worn 24/7 express the Celine vibe in the new campaign.

Slimane’s images of Gerber channel the rebellious spirit of the mid-2000s. Kaia wears all the sleek and structured silhouettes we’ve come to expect from Hedi Slimane, who has refashioned the LVMH brand in his own image.

As Phoebe Philo is ready to return with her own eponymous collection, with a beloved following, LVMH financing and her Celine old mailing list, it’s important to note the great success that Celine has enjoyed under Hedi Slimane’s tenure as creative director.

Fashion world should not position current events as a runway version of the forever-to-close Jolie-Pitt divorce. Celine has been reimagined in Hedi Slimane’s vision; and Phoebe Philo is back for fashion fans still in recovery over her Celine departure. Co-existence is possible and preferred.

LVMH has navigated these choppy waters expertly and they are very happy with Hedi’s results, from all I’ve read.

It’s true that Hedi Slimane is a one-human wrecking ball in the arena of heritage fashion brands. And he’s predictable in a non-negotiable behavior pattern that his aesthetic will dominate any heritage name he touches.

If Hedi was at Burberry, the campaign images would be essentially these same shots. Just strip in the name and go. That’s not a critical comment but a factual one.

Hedi Slimane’s Rock Solid Celine Vision

Probably not enough credit is given to Hedi Slimane’s vision of “his” brand and his business acumen in selling the Hedi Slimane fashion vibe and vision in the modern world.

Hedi has rock-solid support from Celine CEO Séverine Merle who also gets major credit for the expansion of the Celine business into new product categories and markets.

Yes, there was some recalibration in Celine by Hedi, and he’s quite sensitive on this topic. AOC believes that Hedi Slimane’s modern boho rocker vibe has more than survived and won the day with major success for Celine.

Together, Celine’s Séverine Merle and Hedi Slimane have capitalized on Hedi’s reputation in menswear and opened that category for Celine.

Celine also launched a high perfumery collection and a line of luxury leather goods, with a heavy emphasis on artisanal craftsmanship. This theme of artisanal expertise dominates the LVMH business strategy and plays out in different ways, depending on the maison.

Preparing this article, I saw furniture images I didn’t know existed. We share some of those images from Celine’s IG, where we see a carefully-pruned design vision for Celine that is delivering major financial results.

At the time of Hedi Slimane's Celine appointment, LVMH announced it wanted to double Celine's sales within five years. COVID had an impact and LVMH rarely reports precise sales figures by group.

Reality is that LVMH has achieved staggering results with the expansions of Louis Vuitton and also Dior. I would never second guess their goals on what is achievable with Celine.

Good work, Hedi Slimane. And Phoebe Philo lovers are getting her back, too. Let’s not pit these two major talents against each other. They are both winners. ~ Anne